Pattern no. 1. As the first pattern, Blue Fluted Plain has become a source of inspiration in the making of all other pieces from Royal Copenhagen. Also known as the mussel painted pattern, no one knows for sure the meaning behind the name. Some believe the name refers to the fluted porcelain resembling a mussel while others claim the name derived from the cobalt blue colour also known as mussel colour.
In 1775 Queen dowager Juliane Marie proposed that every porcelain piece from Royal Copenhagen should be marked on the bottom by three wavy lines symbolising the Sound, the Great Belt and the Little Belt – the three main waterways of Denmark.
The delicate decoration of the hand painted porcelain is comparable to the painter’s own signature and like any other piece of art, the blue painters put their own signature on the back of every piece.